Nine people controlling a government with a record for radical social engineering should be reason enough for the Federal Government to reject ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope’s calls for more power, according to the Australian Christian Lobby.

The civil unions policy to undermine marriage was pursued without the ACT Government ever releasing the results of the public consultation, ACL Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton said.

“If the ACT Government could not be open with the public under partial autonomy, what will they be like if full autonomy is granted?” Mr Shelton said.

“Mr Stanhope has already tried to side-step the Commonwealth Marriage Act by attempting to implement marriage-mimicking civil unions until Prime Minister Kevin Rudd intervened to keep marriage between a man and a woman.

“He legalised stranger adoption for homosexuals against the overwhelming wishes of the majority.

“The ACT Government does not have a strong track record when it comes to open government.

“Calls by Mr Stanhope for more power for the small group of people he governs with does not engender confidence.

If Government in the ACT lacked openness now, it stood to reason that it would be worse if complete autonomy was granted by the Federal Government, Mr Shelton said.